Both plans are qualified plans under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
| FRS Pension Plan | FRS Investment Plan |
| The FRS Pension Plan is a defined benefit plan. That means that your retirement benefit is set by a fixed formula. No matter how well or poorly the trust fund investments perform, you are guaranteed to receive your accrued benefit for your lifetime. | The FRS Investment Plan is a defined contribution plan. That means that the contribution amount is fixed by a set percentage determined by law and the contribution is made to an individual account in each participant's name. With a defined contribution plan, in which the monthly contribution rate is fixed, the final benefit will be the total account value (contributions plus investment earnings less expenses and losses) distributed during retirement. |
